Yurio Tangzawa Reporter's Picks Lineup Revealed (4231)
Goalkeeper: Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuta Nakayama, Hwang Itakura, Akigo Taniguchi, Hiroki Sakai
Back combination: Hidemasa Morita, Bea Tanaka
Midfielders: Kenyoung Kubo, Takumi Minamino, Junya Ito
Striker: Daizan Maeda
Reporter Yurio Tangzawa further pointed out that Japan's attacking power is a bit lacking, scoring only 5 goals in 6 matches, so in order to capitalize on the home field advantage and secure the three points, the chosen formation is back to the classic 4231.
The single arrow in the forward line is played by Daizo Maeda, who has recently moved to Celtic. He is fast and effective in pressuring the opponent's defense, and has excellent touch skills in front of the goal, which makes him a good partner for Junya Ito, who is good at breaking through. Takumi Minamino is deployed in the center of the penalty area, closer to the goal, to take advantage of his scoring ability. The all-round midfielder Kubo Kenyoung is placed on the left side, where he can work with the players in the center of the field and also break through to make crosses directly to the bottom of the field.
A combination of Hidemasa Morita and Bea Tanaka was used in the midfield in case Hang Endo was unavailable. Similarly, Hwang Itakura and Shogo Taniguchi were chosen for the center back position, based on the understanding they developed as teammates during their time at Kawasaki.
